VIDALIA, La. &045; It wasn’t the news they wanted, but no one’s pushing the panic button quite yet.

Based on last year’s test results, three Ferriday schools have dropped into level 2-school improvement and will have to offer parents the choice of sending their child to a different Concordia Parish school.

Ferriday Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and Junior High schools missed the required 60-point school performance score by small amounts and moved from level 1-school improvement to level 2. Schools scoring below 60 are considered academically unacceptable.

At the elementary and junior high levels test results from the LEAP and the IOWA tests are combined with attendance numbers to calculate the numeric school performance score.

The three Concordia Parish schools join 175 other state schools labeled unacceptable &045; a number up significantly from last year due to rising standards. The bar that was at 45 in 2003 was raised to 60 this year.

In fact, all three Ferriday schools improved their test scores, and the Lower and Upper scores were within decimal points of 60.

&uot;The key would’ve been if this wasn’t the year to go to 60,&uot; Superintendent Kerry Laster said. &uot;Ours were some of the closest to 60 in the state. A lot were in the 40s.&uot;

Ferriday Lower receives the same score as Upper because it is considered a feeder school. The two elementary schools scored 59.1 this year, up from 53.5 last year.

Ferriday Junior High scored 54.5 this year, up from 52.8 last year.

When the state upped the standards, schools not meeting the 60-mark automatically fell into the next level of school improvement. Under federal regulations, schools must fail to meet Average Yearly Progress two years in a row before dropping in improvement levels.

&uot;Louisiana standards are higher than No Child Left Behind,&uot; Laster said. &uot;All three of the schools improved last year.&uot;

Because the schools are in level 2 they have to follow a state designed plan for their improvement, something Laster said isn’t a bad thing.

&uot;The kids will benefit,&uot; she said. &uot;But as hard as the teachers, administrators and children are working, it’s a low morale issue.&uot;

The news came Wednesday, a week and a day before school is scheduled to start. Central office administrators met with the three school’s principals Thursday to map out a plan that will have to be in place this year.

With or without adjustments that will be made this year, administrators said they were sure the news wouldn’t be the same next year.

&uot;I feel very confident that those two (elementary schools) and even all three will meet a 60 school performance score (next year),&uot; Title I Director Julius Huhn said.

School performance scores for other parish schools have not been released. The state only pre-releases schools that don’t meet the accountability standard so school choice can be offered. Other scores will come in mid-fall.